Tim Timmis Bird Photography

Tim Timmis Bird Photography
Introduction by George Hosek

I've been a fan of Tim's bird photography since I first saw his images on TexasPhotoForum.com ( now Pixtus.com ) several years ago. It seemed every week he would post one great series of bird photos after another, I found myself going back time after time just to see if he had posted any new images. So it's my pleasure to present some of Tim Timmis outstanding bird photos.

As you can imagine creating compelling imagery of wild birds is not easy, over the years Tim has developed a few techniques that help him capture those extraordinary images. For many of his coastal photos Tim will literally lay on the ground while using a Ground Pod to support his 100-400mm lens and a Better Beamer flash extender to help illuminate his subject.

He also likes to shoot in the morning just before and just after sunrise when the quality of light is at it's best. Some of Tim's favorite places to shoot are High Island Rookery, Bolivar flats and Brazos Bend State Park.

Tim is not only a skilled photographic technician, he also has a thorough understanding of avian behavior and habitat. Most importantly, he has a deep love and appreciation for his subjects. See more of Tim's Texas bird photography or check his blog for latest updates and news.

This is one of my all time favorite photos from High Island. The sun comes up in your face at the rookery but it can lead to some great backlit shots. This great egret was coming in for a landing and flapped it's wings just at the right time with the early morning sun highlighting it's wings. Spot metering helped to darken the background. Taken with a Canon 40D and 100-400 lens on a tripod. 1/640 sec @ F5.6 ISO 200 spot metering on a tripod with a gimbal mount. Tim Timmis

I really love this photo! Tim's timing is perfect, he waited for the exact moment when the birds wings were fully extended. The backlighting and black background come together to create a really unique image. George Hosek

Nest building at the High Island Rookery is an exciting time for both the birds and photographers. The Great Egrets put on quite a show when one of them returns to the nest with a "mighty stick". With all of the squawking going on, you would think that he brought back a tree trunk instead of the tiny stick.

There were four photographers shooting this scene and the high shutter speed cameras almost sounded like machine gun fire going off every time that he flew back to the nest. Canon 40D and 100-400 lens mounted on a tripod, 1/800 sec @ F7.1, spot metering, ISO 250. Tim Timmis

Another excellent nesting behavioral shot. I really like the action and lighting in this photo. George Hosek

Captured this group of Avocets in flight as I was wading in the Gulf of Mexico at Bolivar Flats. Taken shortly after sunrise, the golden light was coming through the wings. Used manual exposure compensation to get the birds properly exposed with the bright background or it would have been a silhouette shot. 1/500 sec @ F5.6, spot metering, +1 exposure compensation, ISO 400. Tim Timmis

This is a technically difficult shot to pull off, usually when shooting into a bright sky or background your subject will naturally be a silhouette but Tim exposed for the birds and pulled off a wonderful image. George Hosek

While sitting on the bank at Brazos Bend's 40 acre lake, keeping one eye on the birds and the other on the alligators, this Yellow Crown Night Heron dove into the water right in front of me, catching a crawfish. He then quickly flew past me again to enjoy his breakfast.

Didn't have time to think or zoom out so I just reacted to get this shot. The lower shutter speed helped to blur the wings. Taken with Canon 40D and 100-400 lens mounted on a tripod with gimbal mount. 1/320 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400 spot metering. Tim Timmis

Another great action shot. The blurred wings really give this photo a sense of motion without sacrificing the sharpness of the eye and head. George Hosek

While lying on a sandbar at Bolivar Flats taking a photo of a seagull, this Great Blue Heron flew in, scared the seagull away and dove in to catch a fish. I took a burst of shots when he lowered his beak into the water and captured this photo as he was pulling the fish out of the water. Taken with a Canon 40D and 100-400 lens mounted on a ground pod with gimbal mount. 1/1000 sec @ F5.6, ISO 250, spot metering. Tim Timmis

Tim caught this Great Blue Heron in a fantastic pose. Again he shows that timing is so important when photographing birds. Getting down to the birds level really makes this photo exceptional. George Hosek